


Dear Raps

by BeauRamos



Series: Destinies [2]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Cassandra and Anna are friends, Cassandra and Elsa are friends too, F/F, Love Letters, Pining, but ya gotta earn it, cassunzel, in which Cass is a chicken and won't actually write to rapunzel, slowburn friendship, the mature rating is mainly so I can get away with cursing and violence and not feel bad about it, there'll be gay stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:21:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23184709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeauRamos/pseuds/BeauRamos
Summary: Post-Tangled:The Series/Frozen 2. PREQUAL TO "REUNIONS." Following the events of the showdown with Zhan Tiri, Cassandra left Corona to seek out her own destiny away from Rapunzel and the rest of her friends and family. After spending a few weeks in the Kingdom of Ingvarr, Cassandra boards a ship bound for Arendelle where an unlikely friendship awaits her in the Kingdom's new Queen Anna. As Cassandra struggles with adjusting to a new Kingdom and life, her thoughts always find their way back to Corona and to a certain Queen-to-be.
Relationships: Anna & Kristoff (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Series: Destinies [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966225
Comments: 19
Kudos: 95





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This continuation of the series is based around an ongoing Cassunzel RP I have with a friend and I wanted to create a means of her finding out what exactly Cassandra was up to while she was away from Corona for two years. This is the first fic I've written in years so any pointers or critiques are much appreciated!! Enjoy!!

“Get down, Your Majesty!” Cassandra cried as she sprung to action- vaulting over the railing and dropping down nearly 15 feet to the ground below. She felt a crack in her ankle, but adrenaline had taken hold of her completely and she didn’t seem to notice as she sprinted towards the young Queen, hooking her arm around the red head’s waist protectively. Cass used her momentum and carried the woman forward, flipping the dinner table up onto its side for the two of them to take cover behind just as three crossbow bolts stuck into the makeshift barricade. 

Anna was panting in fear and adrenaline as she clutched her hand over her heart. “What’s going on, Cassandra?” she asked in a panic, picking up a silver platter that had clattered to the ground nearby as a means of defending herself. How had everything gone so horribly in such a short amount of time? What had she done wrong?

The warrior gritted her teeth as she finally drew her sword from over her shoulder, gritting her teeth as a sharp pain throbbed in her ankle and she became acutely aware that her leg was most likely broken from that jump. “You tell me,” Cass replied, peeking over the table just long enough to see their assailants reloading their crossbows for another round of attacks. “Why are people trying to kill you?” She dropped back down to a knee and looked towards Anna, reaching a hand over and resting it on her shoulder reassuringly. “Anna,” she said in a calm voice. “I need you to focus. Do you recognize whose men these are?”

“I… I think they’re from the S-Southern Isles. Hans’ brothers must have sent them.” Anna’s voice was trembling and uneasy, but she swallowed hard against the pit forming in the back of her throat. Taking a deep breath, she looked up to meet Cassandra’s gaze. “O-Or maybe he sent them himself. I don’t know.”

With a shaky exhale, Cassandra drew her dagger from her hip and spun it around into a reverse grip, letting it slip from her grasp lightly before catching it by the flat of the blade- ready to throw at a second’s notice.  _ There’s one 10 feet straight ahead, one to the right by the support column, and a third directly across from the second by the door. Easy. _

“What are you going to do?”

Cassandra closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she looked at Anna once again and gave her a small grin paired with a wink. “I’m going to give them a nice, old-fashioned Coronan greeting, Your Majesty.” Her years of training began to take hold of her and it was almost as if her body began to move on its own.

Before Anna could respond, Cass had stood up and thrown her dagger to the man closest to them. He let out a grunt in pain as the blade stuck into the center of his chest and he tumbled back- finger squeezing the release on his crossbow and sending the bolt flying several feet off-target. The man hit the ground an instant later, dead.  _ One, _ thought Cassandra as she bowled over the table, rolling head over heels and retrieving the dagger from her first target’s chest.

A loud click echoed to her right and her eyes immediately honed in as she rotated to the right just in time to narrowly avoid the bolt as it flew past her and stuck into the ground several feet behind her.  _ Reloading. _ She continued to twirl with her own momentum and took cover behind the support column nearest to her. Taking another deep breath, she growled as she slipped around the far side of the wooden support and sprinted down the walkway towards her second target.

_ Click. _

Cassandra let out a sharp exhale as the sound had come from the second floor across from where she’d lept from previously. Skidding to a stop, Cass hissed in pain as the bolt zipped past her face- the sharpened head of the bolt slicing a long cut along her jawline before it stabbed into the wall beside her head. “Damn it!” she snarled.

Before she could refocus her attention on the man closest to her, Cassandra’s vision went red as a sharp pain blossomed from her abdomen. Stumbling back a step, she looked down and her eyes widened as she saw a bolt deeply embedded in her lower right torso. Cass’ back hit the wall and she slid to the ground, gritting her teeth in pain. Distantly, she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching her and time seemed to slow to a crawl all around her. 

Out in the center of the dining room, Anna was standing up- her eyes trained on Cassandra and a look of fear and worry in her gaze. Was Anna shouting something to her? She couldn’t seem to hear anything anymore aside from the sound of her own heart pounding away. Her blood began to soak through her clothing and seep out onto the floor- but surprisingly, the pain had faded away almost as quickly as it had flared up.

To her left, the man she’d planned to target second approached her with footsteps that seemed to rattle the entire room- raising his crossbow to aim it right at Cass’ head as she looked straight down the sights to meet his cold gaze. Was this it? How could she have been so foolish as to lose track of the fourth man that had been with them? Why hadn't she listened to her instincts and insisted on a different meeting place like she'd originally wanted to? Why had she left Corona in the first place?  _ Why? Why? Why? _

The man's mouth seemed to twist into a cruel grin as he squeezed the release on his crossbow- the bolt springing to life as it flew towards the raven-haired warrior with lightning fast speed.

Closing her eyes, Cassandra let out a slow exhale as she waited for the inevitable silence that was soon to come. As the world around her began to fade away… her thoughts drifted back to the Kingdom Corona and to a certain sun drop princess who still held the key to her heart. 

Finally, the bolt landed and the cold slowly consumed Cassandra as it swept over her body and into her mind, welcoming her to a deep and silent slumber.


	2. Déjà vu

Cassandra let out a breath of relief as she stepped off the boat and onto the much more solid dock. Her balance was a bit off as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder and began to make her way down towards the officer in charge of checking her in. She stopped for a moment and looked out towards the Fjord and gave a soft hum in thought.

It had been two and a half months since she’d left Corona after the defeat of Zhan Tiri. In that time, she’d spent two months in Ingvarr working as a mercenary before she had decided to board a ship bound for Arendelle. In her years working at the castle for the King and Queen, Cassandra had frequented the library quite a bit. And yet, for all the information she’d learned, not much had been about Arendelle. It had been as if the mysterious country had vanished from all records for the last decade or so.

The seas had been rough and the winds had been cold and unforgiving. Cass had been on plenty of ships in her time, but never for as long as this trip was. Two weeks of constant rocking had the trained warrior barely able to walk straight; not to mention her appetite had gone just as quickly as her balance. So when the lookout had rung the bell to alert the ship that Arendelle approached, Cassandra had felt the first wave of hope she’d had in a very long time. Hope for a fresh start and endless possibilities.

“Excuse me, Miss?” came a voice that startled Cassandra out of her daze.

She blinked and looked towards who was speaking to her and found herself face-to-face with the dock officer. Cassandra gave a sideways grin in greeting and set her bag down beside her. “Sorry. I was just admiring the view.”

  
The man looked out in the same direction Cassandra had been gazing and smiled a bit before he nodded in agreement, shifting his gaze back toward the raven-haired woman. “Arendelle is beautiful this time of year. You’ve picked the perfect time to visit our shores. May I ask what brings you here and where you are visiting from, Miss…?” he trailed off, pulling a quill and notebook from his shoulder bag.

“Cassandra. I’m here looking for work wherever I’m needed.” Cass rested her hand on her hip as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, still trying to get her land legs back. “Traveling from Ingvarr, but originally from Corona.”

“Ah, Corona! What a treat!” The man’s eyes seemed to light up and he tucked his notebook under his arm after writing down the information Cass had provided. “I’ve heard nothing but lovely things about the Kingdom of Corona and even kinder things about the Royal Family.” He gave Cassandra a small, respectful bow before smiling up at her. “Welcome to Arendelle, Miss Cassandra. I do hope you enjoy your stay.”

Cassandra smiled back towards him and picked her bag up once again. “Thank you. Have a good day.” The officer continued on and Cassandra made her way off the docks and into town. 

The liveliness and energy that just radiated from the people as they went about their business was so different from the towns that Cassandra had grown up around- and certainly different from Ingvarr. Everyone seemed to be smiling and happy and content as they made their way about the city. Cass stopped in the town square and looked up towards a statue of a young boy and girl, furrowing her brow. _Curious,_ she thought to herself. 

As the warrior continued to take in the sights, she turned around just in time to be nearly pummeled in the face by a wooden plank. With her cat-like reflexes, Cass bent backwards just in time to avoid being hit before standing up with a huff of annoyance. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” The man carrying the plank didn’t seem to hear her as he continued on his way and Cassandra grumbled a bit. _Looks like ignorance is a trait you’ll find anywhere._

Several moments later, Cass found herself at a small fountain and took a seat at its edge, stretching and rolling her shoulders a bit with a sigh. She reached down and slowly removed her gloves, opening and closing her right hand slowly as her eyes travelled over the scarring that was still fading with time. With a soft hum in thought, she reached into her bag and withdrew a small, leather-bound journal and opened it to the next blank page, pressing her pencil to the parchment.  
  


_Dear Raps,_

_Sorry it’s been a while-  
I was kind of cooped up on a ship for the last couple weeks so this is the first chance I’ve had to really sit down and write to you again.  
_ _I’ve just arrived in Arendelle safe and sound. The trip was less-than-enjoyable, but well worth making.  
_ _This country is beautiful, Raps. The people are so lively and warm and I can’t wait to keep exploring._

Cass’ pencil paused and she let out a soft sigh as she reached up and brushed her fingers through her hair. She tapped the opposite end of the writing utensil against the page and furrowed her brow in thought before she looked up towards the castle, pursing her lips.

~~_I miss you._ ~~

~~_I hope things are going well for you and Eugene._ ~~

_Give Fidella, Max and Pascal my love._

_-C_

She stopped and exhaled softly before closing the journal and tucking it away once again. Reaching up, she put her hand over her heart and looked up towards the sky. Every day that she’d been away from Rapunzel had been harder than the last and it had taken every bit of strength she had to not turn on her heel and head back to Corona instead of boarding the ship to Arendelle. Cass missed a lot of people in Corona- her father, Rapunzel… hell, she even missed Eugene- not that she’d ever give him the satisfaction of hearing her say it more than once.

“I know that look.”

Cass blinked in surprise and looked around before her eyes landed on a man standing a few feet away from her with a reindeer in tow. Her gaze moved back and forth between the man and the animal for a moment before she cleared her throat and stood up to look him in the eyes. “And what look might that be?” 

The man chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. “It’s the look of someone who did something to protect the person they love at the expense of their own happiness.”

“That… is oddly specific and doesn’t at all sound like you’re talking from personal experience.”

He smirked and held out his hand towards her, smiling genuinely. “Kristoff,” he said plainly.

She gave his hand a wary glance before slowly grasping it in return and giving it a firm shake. “Cassandra,” she replied. After a moment, she withdrew her hand and slid her gloves back on. “So tell me, Kristoff. What makes you think that I’m someone who would give up my own happiness for the person I love?”

Kristoff shrugged and leaned against the reindeer casually, folding his arms across his chest. “Just a hunch. Let’s just say that I’ve been in that same boat before. Trust me when I tell you that you’re going to want to be honest with them sooner or later.”

Cass huffed a bit and looked away, narrowing her eyes. She didn’t enjoy being read so easily. “That’s easier said than done. Corona is a long way from Arendelle.”

He raised an eyebrow and gave a soft whistle. “Corona, huh? Well you’re sure a long way from home, Cassandra.” The reindeer let out a snort and nudged the bag at Kristoff’s side and he rolled his eyes, withdrawing a carrot and tossing it up for the reindeer to catch. “Here ya go, buddy. Now let me finish talking to the nice lady and then we can go and get you all the carrots you want for being patient. Sound good?” With a happy grunt, the creature sat on his hind flanks and chewed the carrot loudly.

“Well, I’m hoping to make Arendelle my new home. Just need to find some work and I’ll be set.”

“Maybe I can help-” Kristoff began but was quickly cut off by Cassandra’s palm in his face.

“I work better alone. Besides, I doubt someone like you would be able to provide me with the kind of work that suits me best.” Cass picked her bag up and looked at him with a small smirk. “No offense, Kristoff.” She patted his cheek a bit roughly before moving past him.

Kristoff turned and watched Cass leave and gave a hum before Sven turned and grumbled a bit. “ _Gee, Kristoff! You should help her!_ ” He rolled his eyes and looked at the reindeer. “You heard her- she obviously doesn’t want my help.” Sven’s ears flicked and he looked Kristoff in the eyes. “ _What would Anna say if-_ Ah, ah! Don’t bring her into this, Sven.”

The first week was the hardest. Finding work had proven much more difficult than she’d anticipated. With the Kingdom of Arendelle at peace, there really wasn’t much call for a mercenary with her skill set at the moment. Eventually, Cassandra had found a seamstress whose hands weren’t what they used to be and who needed someone who could handle a needle and thread to help with the orders she was still receiving. Of course, once the old woman had seen just how skilled Cassandra was at sewing, she’d tossed most of the daily work into Cass’ lap and took to heading home early every day. She’d travelled around the world- to countries far beyond the horizon… just to end up doing exactly what she’d done back in Corona. Sewing dresses.

It hadn’t been until the second month in Arendelle that Cassandra had been called upon by special request from the Queen to make a house call to repair a few of Her Majesty’s gowns.

Cassandra let out a huff as she made her way through the gates of the castle. _If she asks me to be her lady-in-waiting, I’m leaving._ She stopped in the courtyard and looked up at the building in awe. Though Arendelle’s castle paled in comparison to the sheer size of Corona’s, the design and overall feel of this castle felt so much warmer and welcoming than any other Cassandra had ever laid eyes on. _Raps would love to paint this place._

After a moment, she cleared her throat and continued her way into the castle, following the direction of the guards until finally, she was let into a medium-sized room with several mannequins adorned with the gowns she’d be repairing. Cass sighed a bit as she took her satchel off her shoulder and laid it down on the table. She undid the fasten and began to take out her sewing kit as she sat down before one of the gowns to begin her work.

Cass wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she finally heard the sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway and she lifted her gaze to see a younger, red headed woman leaning against the doorframe. If not for the crown upon her head, Cass would have assumed she was simply a maid of the castle. Jumping to her feet, Cassandra gave a bow towards the woman and kept her head low in respect. “Your Majesty.”

  
“Oh, please. Don’t do that,” the Queen replied and waved her hands as if to motion for Cass to stand up. “The whole bowing thing it-it’s just too weird for me. We don’t do that here.” She chuckled a bit and stepped around the gowns to offer her hand. “I’m Anna.”

The raven-haired warrior raised an eyebrow as she stood back up to her full height and carefully took Anna’s hand, shaking it gently. “Cassandra. I’m the seamstress you requested to repair your gowns.”

Anna pursed her lips and gave Cassandra a once over before shifting her gaze to study the work she’d already completed in the short time she’d been there. “You don’t look like any seamstress I’ve ever seen, Cassandra.” She turned and looked at Cass, gaze soft. “But your work is sound. Where did you come from?”  
  


“Corona.”

“Hm. I’d believe it.” The red head stepped up to Cassandra and looked up at her for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “Were you this uptight in Corona too or is it just because you’re worried about upsetting the Queen?”

Cass rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Would you believe me if I said it was a bit of both?”

“Would _you_ believe me if I said that I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole Queen business?” Anna retorted as she sat down in one of the chairs across from the one Cass had been using. She motioned for Cassandra to take a seat and smiled. “Tell me about yourself. It’s been a while since we’ve had any new faces around here and I adore meeting people from far off places.”

_Do I leave out the part where I was being manipulated by an ancient warlock and had control of indestructible black rocks thanks to a blue stone stuck in my chest?_

Cassandra took a seat and cleared her throat. “I… suppose you’re the Queen and since you make the rules, I can’t exactly get in trouble for not doing my job, right?” After a moment, Cass let out a short exhale. “What’s there to tell, really? I was the Princess’ lady-in-waiting for nearly three years and-”

“I bet that drove you crazy, didn’t it?” The warrior blinked and looked at Anna who simply chuckled in amusement. “No offense, but you don’t exactly strike me as the ‘lady-in-waiting’ type, Cassandra.”

The warrior pursed her lips a bit, unsure of how to respond. She didn’t quite enjoy being read so easily yet _again_ and she cared even less for the fact that the Queen seemed to be taking a shine to her as well. Was this what she was truly cut out for? Sitting in a castle all day, waiting on royalty hand and foot? Cass looked down and let out a soft sigh. “Your Majes- Anna. With all due respect… I’m only doing this because no one has a need for a mercenary or guardswoman.”

Anna’s eyes widened a bit and she scoffed a bit. “Hold on a second- a mercenary? Now _that_ is a story I need to hear!” She sat forward and rested her chin in her hands as she looked towards Cassandra in wonder.

“It’s.. a lot to explain.”

“Sounds like we’re having a sleepover, then! I’ll tell the maids to prepare the guest room!” Anna jumped to her feet and rushed out of the room without giving Cassandra even a second to protest. The door slammed closed and Anna’s footsteps retreated down the hall, fading into the distance a few seconds later.

With a loud groan, Cassandra slumped back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling. “Why does this keep happening to me?”


	3. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge shout out to sunnyteea and taupewolfy who have been beta-reading and giving me feedback on this little story of mine. Y'all rock!

**_THEN_ **

_Cassandra dusted her hands off and gave a confident nod of her head as she looked over her now-tidy quarters. Now that she and Rapunzel had finally returned everything to its proper place, perhaps she’d finally be able t-_

_“Who knew that taking down a sleepover fort would be so much work! Whew!” Rapunzel hopped up beside Cassandra and rested her hands on her hips as she did her best to mimic Cass’ more confident stance. “We should do this again sometime!”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“I would prefer not to,” came Cassandra’s short reply as she made her way over to her bed and fluffed her pillow a bit._ _  
_ _  
_ _Rapunzel’s shoulders slumped a bit and she frowned. “Oh.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Cassandra cast a glance towards the Princess and blinked before shaking her head. “N-No, that’s not what I- ugh.. I mean..” she stammered. Cass grumbled softly to herself as she reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath to steady herself. “I meant I would prefer we don’t make such a mess should we choose to have another sleepover.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _The smaller girl’s eyes lit up and she bounced in excitement. “You’d really have another sleepover with me, Cass? Maybe after we win the Contest of the Crowns?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Provided we actually win, sure. But-”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Rapunzel had already jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Cassandra, hugging her tightly with a squeal of joy. “Oh, Cass! I promise I’ll do my very best from now on!”_ _  
_ _  
_ _The lady-in-waiting let out a heavy sigh but found herself wrapping her arms around Rapunzel and returning the hug. For all her protesting, Cassandra found something oddly comforting about how open the Princess was with physical affection. Growing up surrounded by the Guards and with few children her age, Cass hadn’t had a great deal of physical interactions with people other than occasionally rough-housing with some of the other trainees when her father wasn’t looking._ _  
_ _  
_ _She smiled a bit and rested her cheek against the top of Rapunzel’s head for a brief moment before carefully pulling free from the hug and clearing her throat. “We really should get some rest. Tomorrow’s another day full of tournaments and if we hope to stand a chance at winning this thing, we’ll need to bring our A game.” Cass folded her arms across her chest, instinctively retreating back into herself._ _  
_ _  
_ _Rapunzel looked up at Cassandra with a gleam in her eyes and she nodded enthusiastically. “You got it, Cass. I won’t let you down!” She took a step back and held up her right hand to show her spirit bracelet off with a genuine smile. “Team Corona!”  
_ _  
Cassandra let out a soft sigh and looked at the brunette. “Remember what you said about trying too hard?” _

_The Princess blinked and glanced at the bracelet before chuckling awkwardly as she folded her hands behind her back. “Right. Sorry. I’ll work on it.” She gave Cass a single, affirmative nod before turning on her heel dramatically to stride out of her room, but she tripped over herself on the first step._

_Luckily, Cass caught her hand without missing a beat. “Good night, Rapunzel.”_

_“N-Night, Cass.” Rapunzel blushed ever so slightly and turned before Cassandra caught sight of it, making her way out of the room and pulling the door closed behind her._

**_NOW_ ** **_  
_**

“Cassandra?” came Anna’s voice, startling Cass out of her little daydream.   
  
Blinking, Cass glanced around the guest room. If she were being completely honest, it was the nicest guest room she’d ever laid eyes on. An enormous, lush bed complete with nearly a dozen pillows of varying fluffiness and what was most assuredly the softest and warmest down blanket draped over it. From the ceiling, an ornate lamp hung with stained glass decorating its outer shade- depicting some sort of ice storm with different shades of blue and silvery-white.

Cassandra made her way over to the table by the window and removed her bag from her shoulder, laying it down on the wooden surface as she looked out through the glass at the town below. She turned and looked at Anna, brow furrowed. “Anna… if I may ask…” she started, but hesitated for a moment.

Anna held up a hand and shook her head. “Cassandra, please. You can be honest with me. I’m not your Queen and I don’t plan on ordering you around like I am.”

The raven-haired woman seemed to finally release a breath she’d unknowingly been holding for a few moments and she looked at the redhead with mild skepticism. “What exactly do you want from me?”

Letting out a soft chuckle, Anna looked at Cassandra with a bit of a smirk. “Right to the point.” Reaching up, she removed her crown and set it aside before she ran her fingers through her hair and rolled her shoulders as if removing the crown had somehow freed her from carrying a weight atop her head. “Honestly? I don’t know.”  
  
“But, why-”

“Let me finish.” Anna’s gaze shifted down to the crown laying on the bed before her and she reached forward, trailing her fingers along its edges. “You’re not like anyone else I’ve ever met before. You’re from a far-off Kingdom and there’s obviously much more to you than meets the eye.”

Cassandra sat down at the table and looked at Anna curiously. “You can tell all that about me with just a look, huh?”

Grinning playfully, Anna tapped her thumb to her chest proudly. “I happen to be an incredible judge of character, Cassandra.” Laughing softly, the redhead leaned back and rested her hands against the bed behind her to prop herself up. “I guess I’m curious what the world is like outside of Arendelle.”

Looking down at her hands, Cass let out a sigh. “It’s not pretty most of the time. Honestly, I’m shocked that the world isn’t just constantly at war with each other with how tense everything always seems. But that’s a soldier’s perspective for you, I suppose.” She sat back in her chair and looked back towards Anna. Sharing touristy information with her was one thing- though instinctively her thoughts went right to protecting Corona’s secrets and she had to fight the urge to close herself off. _Not everyone is out to harm Corona, Cass. And besides.. It’s not even your home anymore so why do you care so much?_

Shaking her head for a moment, Cass looked at the Queen with a soft sigh. “I can only really speak about Corona.”

Anna’s eyes lit up and she sat forward curiously. “Please! I’d love to hear about it.”

“It’s.. warm. Corona is known for its bright springs and colorful summers.” Looking out the window at the sky, Cassandra let her mind wander back to Corona- to the castle where she’d spent so much of her life wishing she could be anywhere but stuck inside sewing. “The Royal Family’s crest is the Sun. I guess they kind of really stuck with the theme, huh?” she added with a soft chuckle. “As I was saying.. The fields surrounding the kingdom are green and lush- the tree and plants bare more fruit than you’d think was possible. But outside the wall? Even better.”

“The wall?” came Anna’s voice and Cassandra looked towards the redhead as she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, confused.

Cass reached into her bag and retrieved her journal, flipping to one of the back pages and pulling a folded map that had been tucked away. Standing up, she walked over and sat on the opposite side of the bed and unfurled the map for Anna to see. In the bottom right corner was the etched name ‘Corona’ with a sun drawn around it. The raven-haired warrior tapped her finger on the castle before dragging it along the parchment and stopping at a thick black line that formed a semi-circle protectively around the kingdom. “This wall is the very edge of the Kingdom of Corona. Just beyond it, there’s hundreds of miles of unruled, untamed ground that’s been able to flourish and grow however it wants. It’s beautiful.”

Anna looked over the map in awe. There was writing scattered all over it- presumably from Cassandra’s own travels and the Queen reached out, carefully tracing along the lines. So much of the world out there and Arendelle was but a small fraction of it. “I wish I could see it for myself. It sounds amazing.”

“Maybe you can, someday.” Cass folded the map back up and looked at Anna, tilting her head to the side a bit. “I mean.. Would anyone _actually_ stop you if you decided you wanted to go adventuring for a time? Shouldn’t a Queen know how the world operates outside of her Kingdom?”

“I… don’t really know how to be a Queen.” Anna looked down and rubbed her arm nervously. “I wasn’t first in line so… I guess it never occured to me that I could end up as the one ruling Arendelle some day.” She got to her feet and made her way over to the window, reaching up and using her finger to draw a snowflake in the frosted glass. “I know that I really shouldn’t be comparing myself to her, but… I keep asking myself what my sister would do.”  
  
Cassandra stood and moved beside Anna, looking at the snowflake and then towards the redhead, pursing her lips in thought. “I’m.. so sorry,” she said softly, almost solemnly.

Anna blinked and looked at Cass, confused. “What? Why?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, your sister seemed to mean a great deal to you. I’m sorry that she isn’t around anymore to see your Kingdom prosper under your rule as Queen.”

“You make it sound as if she died,” Anna replied with a bit of a scoff.

Cassandra froze and swallowed hard before she began to chuckle awkwardly. “She.. didn’t?”  
  
Anna put a finger to her chin and pursed her lips in thought. “No, she’s fine.. I mean, at least she was the last time I checked. We’re supposed to have game night next week, so I sure hope she’s fine. Oh no… what if something happened to her??” Anna’s voice began to sound more and more panicked and Cass’ eyes widened as she had no idea what to do to calm her down. 

After a moment, the Queen laughed out loud and looked at Cassandra. “I’m sorry, but the look on your face!” she teased, clutching her stomach. 

Folding her arms across her chest, Cass pursed her lips into a disapproving frown and looked away with a soft ‘hmph.’ She glanced at Anna out of the corner of her eye and caught the redhead smiling at her. Rolling her eyes, she groaned in annoyance before putting one hand to her hip and pointing at Anna’s face with her other. “I’ll let you get away with it just this once,” she grumped. “And here I was genuinely concerned about this probably-fake sister of yours.”

“Oh, Elsa’s as real as you and me! She just figured that being Queen wasn’t her thing.” Anna shrugged a bit and looked back towards the snowflake she’d drawn. “Her destiny is out there somewhere.”

There was that word again- destiny. That word was what had been the cause of the most pain in Cassandra’s life. It drove a wedge between her and Raps and even led her to leave her home altogether. Destiny was what she’d been chasing for years and even after everything she’d been through, Cass still didn’t feel any closer to finding it than she had been the day she first met Rapunzel. With a soft hum in thought, Cassandra tucked her map back into her journal and flipped back to the first page where she’d written the same phrase that had sent her down this path- ‘Plus est en vous.’

Slowly, her gaze shifted to the woman beside her. Anna was a Queen who needed someone who understood what ruling a Kingdom meant. And while Cassandra was certainly no Queen, she’d spent enough time studying rules and customs to understand the expectations of one. Looking down in thought, Cass reached a hand up and absentmindedly touched the handmaiden headpiece she had wrapped around her bicep. After a moment, she looked towards Anna once again and exhaled softly.

“Maybe we can help each other.”


	4. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Anna have a nice heart-to-heart about Cassandra's past and forgiveness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates! And I missed Cassunzel week altogether. Big sad. I'm in the process of moving cross-country (driving too) so I've been a little absent, but I hope y'all enjoy this little update!

_ Dear Raps, _

_ Man, I’m so bad at this whole ‘keep a journal’ thing. I get so wrapped up in everything going on that I forget to write to you and tell you about everything I’ve been up to.  _

_ (Not that you’ll ever actually read this, but c’est la vie.) _

_ I’m working as an advisor to the Queen of Arendelle- Anna. She’s younger than me, but I’m not really sure if she’s younger than you or about the same age.  _

_ Anyways, I’ve been helping teach her how to be a Queen. I guess her sister figured that Anna was better suited to rule the kingdom and passed the title on to her. Never realized that was something you can do. Though, I suppose if you’re the ruler of a kingdom, you can kinda just do whatever you want, huh? _

_ She’s a good Queen- a kind soul. I mean, at least I personally think she is. Maybe I’m not the best judge of character- or maybe I’m just not someone who is even allowed to really have opinions of people like that after all I’ve done, but.. I really feel like I’m doing some good here. Helping her. _

_ In a way, she reminds me a lot of you. You’re both so passionate and protective of your kingdoms and your people. Neither of you give up without a fight.  _ _ Maybe I’m just doing all of this just to make myself feel better for failing you the first time. For failing you as your lady-in-waiting. Failing as your protector. _

_ As your best friend. _

_ There’s this place I’ve found that overlooks the entire town and castle and I come up here to write to you  _ ~~_ when the sun is highest because the warmth reminds me of you _ ~~ _ because I can clear my head when I’m away from everything else. _

_ Part of me wishes that I’d had the courage to say all of this to you face-to-face, but.. I’m not even sure that we’ll ever see each other again.  _ ~~_ As much as that hurts to think about. _ ~~

_ I’m not entirely sure when I’ll update you again, but uh.. I really miss you, Raps. I just hope that things are going well for you back  _ ~~_ home  _ ~~ _ in Corona. I’m sorry I left it in such a mess. _

_ I’m sorry for a lot of things. _

_ -C _

Cassandra let out a soft sigh as she signed her initial at the bottom of the page before shifting her gaze to look over the town below. Everything was so quiet in Arendelle. It was always quiet there. Reaching up, she brushed some of her hair out of her face. She hadn’t cut her hair in some time and it was starting to get in the way again. Cass tugged a strand of her hair out far enough to look at and pursed her lips in thought.  _ Should I cut it short again? It’s kinda getting in th- _

“Oh hey! You found my favorite spot too!” came Anna’s voice from the path behind her, causing Cass to jump to her feet and clumsily tuck her journal behind her back as she looked at the young Queen in surprise.

“Your Majesty, I’m so sorry. I must’ve lost track of time.”

Anna put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow- a look of disappointment on her face. “Cass, what have I said about calling me that? You’re my  _ friend, _ not my servant.”

Cassandra exhaled softly and let out the breath she’d been holding for a few seconds. “Right.”

“What’s that?” Anna asked, motioning towards the journal peeking out from under Cass’ cloak.

The warrior cleared her throat and slowly pulled the book out from behind her and rubbed her hand over the leather cover. “It’s a journal. Of sorts.” Cass looked towards Anna with a bit of a flustered blush spreading across her face. “I have a lot of thoughts and a lot of inner demons that I need to get out of my head. I might go crazy if I don’t.”

Anna took a small step towards her and glanced at the journal before looking back up to meet Cass’ gaze. “You don’t need to apologize for everything or explain your reason for every little thing you do, Cassandra.” She offered a warm smile and motioned towards where Cass had been sitting before she’d arrived. “Care to join me? I’m kind of over Queen duties for today so I was hoping to escape here for a bit, but I’d love the company.”

Cassandra looked at Anna sheepishly. “Only if you’re certain I won’t be a bother.”

“Well that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?” came Anna’s witty reply and the Queen winked playfully.

“Touche.”

The two of them sat down on the hilltop and Anna smiled happily as she looked out towards the Fjord. Anna closed her eyes after a moment and hummed softly to herself as she soaked up the warmth of the sun. “I love sunbathing up here sometimes. It rarely gets hot here, but the warmth is just so comforting. I can’t really explain why that is.”

Cass glanced towards Anna curiously before she also closed her eyes, smiling ever so slightly at the warmth as well. It was true- the warmth felt more like an embrace at times. “No, I feel the same way,” she replied softly. “The sun.. it reminds me of someone very important to me. Someone from back in Corona.”   
  
Glancing towards the brunette, Anna pursed her lips in thought before looking straight ahead again so as not to make her feel pressured to answer. “They must’ve been really special, huh?”

“Is it that obvious?” Cass asked with a soft chuckle. “Yeah, uh… she’s something else.”

“Why did you leave then?”

Cassandra frowned a bit and looked down at her journal in her lap, rubbing her thumbs over the cover once again. “She’s in love with someone else. Another friend. And I respect both of them too much to let my feelings interfere with what they have.” The brunette rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes as her head hung a bit. “Plus I uh… I really screwed things up. A lot of people got hurt because of me-  _ she _ got hurt because of me. I couldn’t stay.”

Anna blinked at hearing Cass’ words and listened closely. In the few weeks that Cassandra had been living at the castle, they’d spoken dozens of times, but Cass had never been so open about her feelings and her past like this. The Queen didn’t want to push, despite being curious what Cass was talking about. If her new friend wanted to tell her, she’d share her story at her own pace. “Everyone’s done things they regret, Cassandra. The fact that you regret your actions is proof that you’ve grown since then. At least… that’s what I think, anyways.”

“How philosophical of you,” Cass teased lightly, trying to avoid the subject as much as possible. “But I guess you’re right. I’m not the person I used to be- I’m not even the same person I was when I left Corona four months ago. A lot can change in a very short time.”

“For the better?”

Cass shrugged and looked at Anna curiously. “You tell me. I’ve been living in your castle for weeks, working closely by your side and you barely know anything about me. What kind of person do I strike you as?”

Anna shifted a bit and spun herself around to face Cassandra directly, squinting at the brunette before her as she studied her for a moment. “Well, you can be pretty angsty, if I’m being honest.”

“Wh- I am  _ not _ angsty!”

Laughing, Anna put a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound as much as possible. After a moment of quiet laughter from Anna and a massive pout from Cassandra, the Queen let out an exhale to regain her composure. “But you don’t strike me as the kind of person who isn’t trustworthy.”   
  
Cassandra snorted a bit and looked away, muttering softly. “And you think you’re a good judge of character?”

“Let me finish. Don’t be rude.” Anna cleared her throat and then looked at Cass with a soft gaze. “I think that you have a very strict code. Your beliefs mean the world to you. I don’t think you’d do anything intentionally underhanded. I think that if you  _ did _ do something questionable… it’d be because you felt like you’re still doing what’s right.”

Looking down in thought, Cass felt a twinge of guilt and she swallowed hard. “What’s right isn’t always what’s best,” she admitted softly. “I try to do what’s best, but sometimes I just… I’m so afraid of screwing up again.”

Anna put her hand on top of Cassandra’s and looked her in the eyes with a reassuring smile. “You and me both, Cass. Arendelle almost fell because of my actions. I left a mad man in charge of my kingdom and nearly lost everything because of it.” She looked down and sighed softly. “My kingdom- my  _ people _ count on me to make the right decisions, but sometimes it’s so overwhelming. That’s what I appreciate about you, Cass. You have this way of breaking things down and analyzing a situation while keeping such a cool head. I’m jealous. You’d make a good Queen.”   
  
Cassandra burst out laughing and clutched her stomach as she nearly tumbled over in her fit of laughter. “Me? A Queen? I’m flattered that you think so, but I respectfully disagree, Anna.” She wiped away a tear of laughter and chuckled one last time. “For what it’s worth? I think you’re doing a great job as Queen here. You don’t give yourself enough credit. And from what you’ve told me about your sister, she wasn’t exactly the perfect Queen either. So don’t beat yourself up about it, okay?”   
  
“Thanks, Cass.” The Queen smiled and then looked down the hill at the town below again, letting out a resigned sigh. “Back into the fray, I guess.” She got to her feet, dusting herself off a bit before she looked down at Cass. “For what it’s worth? You’re allowed to forgive yourself, Cassandra. I’ll see you in a bit. We’ll talk again at dinner.” Anna turned and began to make her way back down the hill without another word, leaving Cass to her thoughts.

The warrior watched as Anna vanished into the distance before she pulled her journal up to her chest, holding it close for a moment before she looked down at it with a sad smile. “Maybe someday.”

She opened the book to the next blank page, pulling her pencil out and pressing it to the page.

_ Dear Raps, _

~~_ I love you. _ ~~

~~_ I forgive you. _ ~~

_ I wish I was enough for you. _

_ -C _


End file.
